


Did You Hear?

by sophly



Series: Did You Hear? works + extras [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bi!Harry, Coming Out, Drarry, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Not Epilogue Compliant, Work In Progress, gay!draco, i promise im still working on this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 01:56:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6545800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophly/pseuds/sophly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter was always being stared at. It was one of the great misfortunes of being The Boy Who Lived. He was used to it by now, and accepted it, but this was just ridiculous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spread Like Wildfire

**Author's Note:**

> please note that everyone is 18 and rita skeeter is still ruining their lives on a daily basis via newspaper.

Harry Potter was always being stared at. It was one of the great misfortunes of being The Boy Who Lived. He was used to it by now, and accepted it, but this was just ridiculous. When he walked into the Great Hall, all eyes were on him, the room was filled with whispers, he managed to catch what a few of them were saying. “Did you hear?”, “Is it true?”, “Can you believe it?”, “Wow, he’s so hot”. 

Harry was confused as he sat down next to Hermione and Ron, who were also staring at him, along with the entire Gryffindor house.

“What’s going on?”

“You don’t know?” Hermione asked, looking more anxious than usual.

“Know what?”

Harry could tell the entire room was still looking at him, though it has gotten louder, they were still obviously talking about him.

Ron leaned in towards him. “Mate, Rita Skeeter wrote an article about how you- well, um. You like certain- oh, like-” 

“She said that you’re gay.” Hermione finished for him, Ron pointed at her, as if to say, ‘what she said’.

Harry sat dumbfounded, just blinking, absently.

“That you like boys like the way-”

“I know what it means, ’Mione.” Harry sat back in his chair. He took a deep breath and then,

“Well, shit.”

Hermione didn’t scold him for cursing like she usually did, though she did flinch. Apparently she thought this reaction was expected, even if not entirely acceptable.

Ron leaned in more, “But it’s not true, right? Harry? Right?”

Harry looked at the ground deep in thought, then looked at Ron, then Hermione, then flickered back to the floor. “Yeah, right, of course, yeah.”

Ron seemed to accept this, but Hermione eyed him suspiciously. 

“Then how did she come up with this? On what grounds?” She said, inspecting him.

“Well, you know Skeeter, she’ll say anything to get reads. Remember when she said we were dating?” Harry said, laughing only half genuinely.

Seamus leaned over across a few Gryffindors and tapped in front of the three of them, getting their attention.“Hey, Harry” He said, smirking. 

“Oh, not you too!” Ron said, putting his head in his hands. 

“Seamus, it’s not true. And what do you mean ‘too’?” Harry said, looking to Seamus and then Ron.

“Aw, it’s not? I could’ve shown you a good time.” Seamus winked. In return, Harry rolled his eyes, Ron groaned and covered his ears, and Hermione hit his hand away from in front of them.

The rest of the meal was just as confusing. Harry thought maybe all the rumors would stop after he defeated Voldemort. 8th year was supposed to be about studying, not defeating great evil or who he was kissing.

8th year was an interesting one so far. First off, the houses were still in place, but with less restrictions. There were inter-house couples and friendships. Everyone was allowed to sit anywhere in the Great Hall but they all usually ended up with their houses, with a few exceptions.Even Harry and Draco had stopped hating each other. Well, they still disliked each other, but they didn’t go out of their own way to make each other’s lives miserable. Or at least Harry thought, until he was walking back to the Gryffindor common alone and he was stopped by none other than one Draco Malfoy.

“Oi, Potter.” Draco, called to him, running and grabbing his arm.

Harry sighed, stopped, and turned to him. “What is it, Malfoy?”

Draco looked as though he desperately wanted to say something, his forehead knit together, lips pinched.

“Merlin’s sake, I don’t have all day.” Harry said.

“Is it true?” Draco asked, as if choosing his words carefully. “That you’re- gay?”

“Bugger off, Malfoy.” Harry said on impulse. He yanked his arm from Draco’s grip and started fast walking away.

“No! I mean, Harry, just come back,” Draco said, sounding panicked and sorry.

Harry stopped at the sound of his name. Draco was making this personal, he didn’t sound mean. 

He didn’t care though. Harry zoomed around. “Why would you care? Why would it matter at all? You hate me anyway.”

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t hate you. I don’t like you-” Harry let out a puff of air. “But I don’t hate you,”

Draco moved towards Harry. “If you were, hypothetically, I’d like to ask you some questions. Or just talk to you,”

“Hypothetically.” Harry repeated, hesitantly.

“Hypothetically, of course,” Draco responded quickly.

Harry looked around, no one had walked through the hall yet, surprisingly. “Do want to do this somewhere, not here? Like, somewhere private?”

Draco  blinked at the question. “Erm, yeah, Good idea.”

The next thing he knew he was being dragged into a darker, more secluded part of the hall, where students rarely ventured. 

“So, what’s your question?” Harry asked, nervously. He backed up into the wall and leaned on it, studying Draco.

Draco leaned on the wall next to Harry, their shoulders almost touching. “So, it’s true, then, yeah? You’re gay?”

Harry laughed nervously. “Not hypothetically?”

Draco nodded. 

“Not hypothetically, no. I’m actually bi. Bisexual.” Harry said, turning his head to face Draco, who was trying to mask a face of confusion.

“I’m attracted to girls and boys.” Harry supplied.

Draco nodded, slowly, a if wrapping his head around the idea. “And- how did you know?”

Harry scratched his head. “I don’t know. Girls are pretty and hot and blokes are hot and-”

“Pretty, yeah got it.” Draco finished. “How’d you learn the term? Did Granger tell you about it?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Draco smirked. “You are way too thick to ever realize something like that on your own,”

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed, but with a stupid smile on his face. Merlin, who would have guessed that him and his nemesis would be chuckling together, enjoying the other’s company? Not Harry.

They sat in silence for a little while before Draco spoke up. “I think I might be gay.” He sunk to the ground, still up against the wall.

Harry sunk down next to him after a moment. “Okay, do want to talk about it?”

“No,” Draco said.

“Okay,” Harry responded.

“Yes,” Draco turned, his knees touching Harry’s left leg in both thigh and knee areas. 

They sat in silence again, until - “I think girls are pretty. I think they’re attractive. But, like, I don’t care?” He said it as a question. Harry nodded for him to continue. “I don’t feel anything. Also, I kissed one, a girl, and I didn’t feel anything. It’s like kissing a chair, but with lips. It didn’t do anything,”

Harry processed the information. “I can’t say I’ve ever felt that, but I can imagine,”

More silence, and then - “How do you know you like guys then?” Harry asked.

Draco pondered this. He looked up at Harry with his bottom lip in his teeth. He cleared his throat. “They’re pretty. And Hot,”

Harry puffed out a laugh, and Draco laughed right along with him.

“Damn,” Harry said. “I said I’d meet Ron in the common like, a half an hour ago.” He sprang up.

Draco stood up with him. “Yeah, I should be going too, But Harry- thanks,”

Harry smiled lightly, “No problem, Drake.”

Draco made a face of disgust. “Okay, you are not allowed to call me that.”

They stood in silence, before Harry cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to say something- and Draco kissed him. Right on the mouth. Harry didn’t even have time to think, or respond, because before he could, Draco was running in the other direction. 

Harry touched his fingers to his mouth, stunned. He started to walk to the Gryffindor common room blindly, his mind blank. That was interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from sabrina carpenter's "smoke and fire"
> 
> follow me on the tums: @/recklesstroyler


	2. Feeling Like My Heart's Mistaken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry reads the article written about him for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> coming out warning! is that a warning? also some light homophobia/ignorance portrayed in the article not shared by the author. anyway, you can read the full article by rita here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/6620269

Interesting wasn’t the word for it. He didn’t have a word for it. Harry didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t expecting that. It’s like he doesn’t even have a chance to have an opinion. It happened way too fast. I mean, it was Draco. Draco had kissed him. Draco Malfoy had kissed him. No matter how Harry phrased it in his mind, it didn’t seem real.

He’d like to say he had repressed feelings this whole time, like he’d always wanted this, but he hadn’t. I mean, Harry couldn't deny he’d always found Draco attractive, it was one of the main reasons he discovered he was bi, but it wasn’t like he had jacked off to the memory of his face, or anything. Damn, he might have to now, because however brief, the kiss was like an electric shock. It sent shivers down his spine, as well as a distinctly confused state of being to his fingertips. Merlin, he was even rambling in his head, Hermione would correct the hell out of him right now. Hermione. Was Hermione talking to him?

“Harry! Harry, come on, I’m not that boring,” Hermione complained, swatting his arm.

“Hm? Oh, sorry,” Harry hummed, coming out of his trance.

“What’s been going on with you, mate?” Ron asked

“Nothing, just, I don’t know- thinking,” Harry shrugged.

“Thinking? About what?” Hermione leaned in, intrigued. Merlin, why couldn’t she just leave it alone?

Ron laughed. “Is it about the fact that everyone thinks you’re a poof? -”

“HERMIONE, CAN I TALK TO YOU?” Harry interrupted Ron.. Hermione looked at him, shocked. “Alone?”

Ron huffed. “I have to get something anyway. See you guys later.”

Hermione didn’t even say goodbye to her boyfriend as he left the library. She was still inspecting Harry, eyebrows furrowed. The look was similar to the one Draco had given him the day before, and Harry had to look away.

“Harry, what’s going on?” Hermione said softly, which could have been absent-minded, they were in a library of course, but the gentle, concerned, almost motherly look on her face told Harry otherwise.

Harry cleared his throat. “Do you have the article?” He looked up at her, “The one Rita Skeeter wrote?”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed even more at this, her face scrunched up impossibly. “Harry, it’s quite offensive, I don’t think you’d want to-”

“Please, I want to know what she said so I’m not confused when people ask me about it,” Harry said.

Across the table from Harry, Hermione sighed. She leaned over the side of her chair and fished through her bag until she found a yellow folder. She opened the folder and out came a newspaper. The front of the newspaper had a picture of him and Hermione hugging, playing over and over. 

“Why are you on here?” He asked, taking it from her. 

“Erm, they use me as evidence,” Hermione replied nervously.

Harry stared exasperatedly at the article. The title read: “Did You Hear?” with the subtitle as: “The Boy Who Lived’s double life - what has he been hiding?” A portion of Harry’s brain realized that’s why he had heard that when he walked into The Great Hall the day before, but the other portion was on a constant loop of  _ I can’t do this, I can’t read this. I can’t do this, I can’t read this. I can’t do this, I can’t- _

“Do you want me to read it to you, pick out the important parts that you should hear, not any more?” Hermione interrupted his thoughts.

“Yes,” Harry breathed in, relieved. “Thank you.” He breathed out.

Hermione took the newspaper from him. “ ‘Did you hear?: The Boy Who Lived’s double life - what has he been hiding? By Rita Skeeter.’ ”

Hermione look up at him, worried. He smiled insincerely to urge her on, and she looked back at the paper. “ ‘Harry James Potter, The Boy Who Lived, is a legend in the wizarding community for his heroics, and his misdeeds alike.’ ” 

Harry scoffed. 

“ ‘Everyone is always working to learn about the boy, so interested in uncovering his secrets that the speculation creates preposterous and ridiculous rumors that damage the boys precious reputation.’ ” 

Harry put his hand up, signaling at the paper, eyebrows creased and mouth twisted in disgust. “Yeah, ones she created!” Hermione looked at him, pointedly. “Yeah, go on,” He said.  
“ ‘I have known the 18 year old for many years, and I have always known something was off. After all these years, I figured I had imagined it, so I put it aside. But recently a close friend of Potter’s came forward with some information I can’t help but write about.’ ”

“A close friend? Who, who in the bloody world would prompt something like this? Not one of my friends,” Harry sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Hermione continued, “ ‘The insider, who prefers to stay anonymous, told me about some curious behavior. Apparently, much to their disbelief, Potter does not respond well to jokes about girls. The insider explained, ‘He doesn’t laugh at our jokes about our girlfriends. I’d tell a joke about mine, and he’d look down,’ ’ ” Hermione looked proud of herself at the last bit.

“I only do that because I know that it’s degrading to a women to talk about her in a manner that suggests that only her looks matter! Not to mention, if I  _ did  _ laugh at that, you would yell at me!” Harry insisted.

“Yes, and I’m very proud of you,” Hermione smiled. She continued, “ ‘To me it is obvious that there is only one explanation. Why would Harry seem insecure at the mere mention of women or dating them? Yes, it is exactly what you think: Harry Potter is gay.’ ”

Harry put his hands high in the air, in a “huh” type motion. “How does that make sense? How in anyway does that make sense? That is such a leap!”

Hermione shrugged. “I can’t explain it.”

Harry dropped his hands to his lap and sighed, “Continue.”

“ ‘The more I think about this, the more I believe it to be true. I started to evaluate his behavior, and it checks out. For example: never once has Potter more than glanced at me.’ ”

Harry gaped.

“ ‘Anyone, even someone as -’ ” Hermione trailed off into a low mumble of words that Harry could not make out. “Blah, basically, you’re gay.” She summarized.

“Wonderful,” Harry muttered.

“Ooh! I’m in this next paragraph,” Hermione shifted in her seat, almost in excitement. “ ‘Now I know what you are thinking: ‘What about Hermione Granger?’, well that’s explained under this fact -’ ”

“Fact?” Harry exclaimed.

“ ‘ - as well: Hermione served as a cover up. While Harry was participating in the Triwizard Tournament he was getting media attention. Granger and Potter must have devised a plan to distract from Potter’s shenanigans. After all, he was getting a mighty lot of attention during that time and they probably thought that he might be caught getting up to whatever it is he was doing. But, if it was rumored that him and Granger were shacking up then any question of his sexuality would be either be discarded or drowned out.’ ”

Harry sat, blinking. 

“I have to say, that would be remarkably clever of us. I almost wish I had come up with it myself,” Hermione mused.

“Except you didn’t! She did! She even came up with the damned Hermione/Harry rumor in the first place! And now she’s blaming us for it?”

“Cunning, almost artful,” Hermione marveled.

“Just read the bloody article,” Harry said, draping a hand over his forehead.

“This is the last one,” Hermione said. “ ‘Now, with all of this evidence,’ well, I can hardly call this evidence, more like speculation,  ‘I can sufficiently say that Harry Potter is gay. If he wishes to change this new discovery about him, he should come forward and clear it up. He owes it to the girls who love and adore him to reassure them. Until then, everyone in the wizarding community will be saying the same thing to one another: ‘Did you hear?’ ”

Harry put his elbows on the table in front of him and his hands over his eyes.

“You know, she’s not wrong,” Hermione said delicately. 

Harry jerked up and looked at her, “Sorry?”

“You have to make a decision on how you are going to respond to this. You can ignore it, and hope for it to go away, but you may be judged here, or people will just accept it to be true,” Hermione explained. “Or you can make a statement and escalate it, meaning more people will talk about it.”

“So it’ll be bad either way?” Harry asked.

“Maybe. It depends what you would say to her,” Hermione responded leaning forward.

“What do you mean?” Harry quirked his eyebrow.

Hermione lowered her voice and looked at Harry with meaning. “It depends whether you tell her it’s true or not.”

Harry stared at her a few seconds, then began to blink rapidly.

“Harry?” Hermione asked, though she said it more as a statement.

“Yeah,” Harry gulped. “Okay. So. Remember a few months back when you were reading that muggle book on sexuality?”

“Yes,” Hermione nodded, letting Harry steer the conversation as he see fit, figuring he had a point.

“You remember when you were explaining bisexuality to me?” Harry whispered, looking up at her through his lashes.

“I do,” She said, letting Harry continue though it was clear she knew where Harry was going.

“I think that’s what I am,” Harry confessed. “I’ve always been attracted to boys and girls.”

“Okay,” Hermione said quietly, though Harry could see a smile through her words. “That’s okay.”

Harry sighed.”I know it is, but I don’t know how I’d go about telling people.”

“You don’t have to,” Hermione commented.

“I didn’t want to. I mean, if I started to date a boy I might,” Harry stopped, his mind flashed an image of Draco, before quickly casting it aside. “But otherwise I didn’t need to, right? I mean, I’m just Harry. I thought maybe I could just, you know, not.

“And now?”

“Well, I have to now, don’t I?” Harry marveled.

“Not necessarily. You could just let it go away and never talk about it. Or you could just tell everyone when you are most comfortable,” Hermione offered.

Harry cocked his head. “You are a good friend, ‘Mione. But, can we talk about something else? What have you been reading lately?”

Hermione’s eyes got wide and fiery. “Well, actually, I have been reading this wonderful muggle book on romantic attraction. I didn’t even know that was a thing! There is this whole concept called the ‘aromantic spectrum’ that is very interesting. It follows closely to the ‘asexual spectrum’, which I’ve explained to you before, though they are different things. I’ve found myself identifying a lot with this particular identity called ‘recipromantic’! Basically it’s not feeling romantic attraction towards someone until you find out they have romantic attraction towards you! Oh, how wonderful it all is! It’s so nice to find someone explaining something you’ve always felt! To put it into words!”

Harry smiled. “Yeah, I know exactly how that feels.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "heaven" by troye sivan  
> read the full article from rita skeeter (there was stuff hermione left out for harry's sake): http://archiveofourown.org/works/6620269  
> also! i include recipromantic/arospec!hermione bc im kind of in love with the idea????  
> and the quotes are fcking crazy in this chapter. THIS TOOK GODDAMN STUDYING. LIKE REVIEWING MY NOTES FROM 7TH GRADE ENGLISH???? it still could be incorrect who knows who cares. probs my english teacher. im sorry ms simon!  
> tumblr: @recklesstroyler  
> twitter: sophlyhefly  
> -sophie


	3. My Mind Is Running Around Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry can't stop thinking about Draco. It's becoming a problem.

Harry was staring. He knew he was staring, though he couldn’t stop himself. Mcgonagall was saying something, though he wasn’t sure what, but he was sure it was important, and this was becoming a common theme in his life recently. There were two other things that were becoming a common theme: run-on sentences and Draco Malfoy, though all of them were caused by the last one.

He wasn’t paying attention because he could see Draco. Well, the back of his head, but it was enough to have Harry’s head soaring through possibilities. He was thinking in run-on sentences because that’s what Draco has been doing to his brain lately, and it had only gotten more intense with the dream he had the night before. He couldn’t control it, he was 18 with no sexual outlet, forced to work in the same room as the one person who made his brain, among other things, skyrocket.

He and Draco hadn’t talked since the hall. It’d only been two days, but Harry feared the whole thing would disappear, they would never address it, pretend it never happened. The worst part was feeling like he needed to start to let go.  _ Maybe he hasn’t even thought about you.  _ The mean voice in Harry’s head said.  _ Maybe you’re pining like a sad little boy. You didn’t even like this guy two days ago. What happened? He kissed you and you melted? Are you really that desperate? Are you really that pathetic? _

“Harry!” Ron repeated. 

“What?” Harry growled, still looking at Draco.

“Harry, for Merlin’s sake!”

Harry snapped his head to his face. “What?” He bit out.

“What is up with you? Did Malfoy do something again? Has he been a dick again?” Ron asked, growing protective and territorial. “Because he can’t do that anymore. We have an agreement.”

The agreement was basically Draco and his possy couldn’t be asshats to Harry and his friends or, actually anyone, and Harry’s friends couldn’t be asshats to Draco and his possy. It had been official at the start of eighth year, they had all begrudgingly decided that petty disputes and mutual bullying were beyond them. I mean, they had fucking defeated Voldemort, and the one thing that Malfoy and Harry could agree on was self-admiration. They couldn’t bring that down for something as stupid as a rivalry.

“No, I would have killed him already,” Harry said.  
Ron grunted his agreement.

“It’s just him, he’s just so- annoying,” Harry expressed. “Like, have you seen the back of his neck?”

Ron coughed. “That is not how I spend my time, no.”

“There it is, yeah. Look at how long it is. You can see where his ferret hair is starting to grow down it. Do you think he’ll grow his hair out one day?” Harry wondered.

“Oh Merlin, this is like sixth year all over again,” Ron muttered to himself.

Harry was lost again, looking about how Draco’s neck connects to his shoulder, the inbetween barely visible before his clothes shielded Harry’s vision, damned robes. The skin was light and reflecting the overhead light fixture, it looked so inviting, Harry couldn’t help but thinking about biting it. Harry’s breath quickened as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Mr. Potter, if you could kindly stop ogling at Mr. Malfoy and pay attention to what I am saying, I’d appreciate it very much.” Professor Mcgonagall called to Harry. The class giggled. Ron tried to hold back a full on laugh.

Draco whipped his head around to see Harry indeed staring at him, before blushing into his text book, Harry repeating the action. 

“Sorry Professor.” Harry muttered.

Mcgonagall seemed to have a twinkle in her eye as she looked back to the board and got back to her lesson.

Class times had stopped being determined by houses, there was now classes mixed with all four houses. Though Mcgonagall was now the Headmistress, she insisted on continuing to teach Transfiguration. On this Friday, all the students in the classroom stole glances at Draco and Harry, giggling despite themselves.

Harry tried to avoid looking at Malfoy the entire rest of the class, but utterly failed. He had an extreme suspicion that Malfoy could tell Harry was looking, the back of his neck flush, angled directly at Professor Mcgonagall, obviously trying very hard not to glance behind him.

At the end of class Malfoy bolted, and before he realized what he was doing, Harry chased him. He ignored Ron who was calling out to him, as well as Mcgonagall asking him to stay, he ignored all of it, because he needed to talk to Draco.

He couldn't let this go away. He refused to pretend it never happened, refuse to participate in the awkwardness, the sexual tension. No, this had to be settled.

When Harry caught up with Malfoy they were back in the hall where Draco had confronted him, except this time it was crowded. Harry grabbed Draco’s arms and Draco spun around. 

“What do you want, Potter?” Malfoy spat.

“Oh, we're doing that again? Being dicks to each other?” Harry asked, eyebrows raised, amused. How he was suddenly so self-assured was anyone's guess. It could have been the way Draco was trying desperately not to eye him up and down. Who knows?

“Fucking hell, Potter. What do you want from me?” Malfoy sighed, exasperated.

Harry smirked. “Do you really want to have this conversation here?” He looked around at the commotion, witches and wizards flowing around them. They were still as the rest of the school seemed to be moving.

Draco gaped. “Merlin’s fucking beard!” He exclaimed before pulling Harry into the same secluded part of the hallway as two nights before. Draco was heaving for some reason, looking at Harry with a hard stare. 

“Why won't you leave me alone? We aren't friends,” Draco hissed.

Harry’s eyebrows knit together. “You were the one who kissed me!”

Draco looked like he was about to say something, but the closed his mouth, it became a frown. “You got me there.”

“But why? Why did you do it?” Harry investigated.

“I-” Draco struggled for words. “We- I mean- we just came out to each other, and I don't know, it just felt like I should.”

Harry’s face contorted into a sneer.

“Obviously I know it was wrong. And stupid. Let not even talk about-” Draco started.

“Obviously? Draco, you didn't even give me time to react, you just ran.” Harry interrupted.

Draco looked shocked. It almost sounded like Harry didn't mind.  _ But that's impossible.  _ “Potter…”

Harry’s face was still scrunched, but now it was confusion, fascination. He got close to Draco, their torsos about an inch apart. Harry put his hands out and cupped Draco's face. 

“Harry,” Draco said, breathing getting shallow.

Harry rubbed one of his thumbs over Draco’s creamy cheekbones. Draco was slightly taller, but only by an inch or two, Harry hardly had to tip his head up.

“You didn't give me time to react,” Harry repeated softly. 

“Fuck, Harry.” Draco said. He didn't know why he was so affected. They hadn't even done a thing yet.  _ Yet. _

Harry’s eyes flickered to Draco's lips. He lightly brushed Draco's bottom lip with his thumb, before looking back into his eyes. “May I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao cliff hanger!! (even though you know what's going to happen yikes)
> 
> chapter title from "electric love" by BORNS. i really love that line.
> 
> find me on tumblr: @recklesstroyler
> 
> -sophie


	4. Thunder's Getting Louder and Louder

“May I?” 

Harry was looking at Draco’s lips intently, rubbing his thumb over it lightly but still enough so that it sent electric shocks through Draco’s body. Draco moved his head in a nod, lightly, and then Harry’s lips bump into his. 

The first kiss they had shared had been brief, blunt and awkward. In Draco’s haste he had pressed his lips onto Harry’s, uncomfortably close, and then zoomed off. This time, however, it wasn’t any of those things. It was hesitant, soft, but so very there. 

Even as it was happening, Draco couldn’t remember it. If he tried, he could grasp at the stealthy thoughts zooming through his head. One of them was marveling at how soft Harry’s lips were, how amazingly puckered they were, pulling him down unto them without any sort of grip on him. 

Looking back on it, it wasn’t as if his head was riddled with thoughts, not at all. If anything, it was an empty road in the dead of night,  lights flickering on and off along it, and the odd creature scampering across, so fast it was a blur.  

The kiss was only about five seconds, all though Draco couldn’t really tell when it had ended. He didn’t know when Harry started holding him, or when his head had rested on Harry’s shoulder, he just knew he didn’t like it. He brought his head back up and pressed his lips back onto Harry’s. 

Something worth noting was how solid Harry was. How calm and grounding he was, pressing back on Draco with his arms around his waist, ignoring Draco’s frantic lips on him. Draco felt a bit like a child, pressing into him insistently, as Harry held him steady and rational. Draco liked it. He was so much more of an adult than Draco was. He was firm and hesitant all at the same time. He held Draco softly but firmly, like he didn’t want to crush Draco but also didn’t want to shatter him. 

Harry finally let him go, stepping away with hesitant look on his face, confused and unsure of where to start. He cleared his throat. 

“Draco,” He said.

“Yes, Harry?” Draco replied, pointedly looking at Harry’s lips.

Harry’s lips curved into a smile. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Draco smiles. 

Harry brushes his lips on Draco’s once more before going back into the crowded hall. 

Draco grasped onto wall behind him, gasping as the heavy unsurety washed over him. It was a bit ridiculous how turned on he had gotten. Truthfully he was barely hard, but he was certainly tickled with arousal. The price of being a virgin, I guess. 

Harry hurried down the hall to his last class of the day, Charms, with a huge smile on his face. He was grinning despite himself, rushing through the swarm of students in flowing robes. As his fellow students already sat ready for Professor Flitwick to lecture them once again about the importance of nonverbal spells, Harry had only just entered the room, attempting to swallow his happiness. 

He sat beside Hermione, who had predictably used her Time Turner to be there. She noticed his weirdness immediately, scooting closer to him.

“Where were you?” She asked quietly.

Harry grinned besides himself, leaving her more confused.

“Harry,” She laughed quietly, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Harry put his fingers firm over his smiling lips, and shook his head.

She laughed, “Okay, you can tell me later then.”

Draco hardly noticed as the day passed around him. He floated to his class and then to dinner. He hovered in his seat, vehemently trying to catch Harry’s eye. The Gryffindor pointedly ignored him, until 10 minutes before dinner was over, when he smiled at him knowingly. 

Draco sat in the Slytherin common room, where Pansy was redecorating, insisting that it was too dark and dreary. Draco was hardly listening, replaying the events of the day over in his head. It was surreal, actually. The water licking at the windows had set in it's intended effect, he was relaxed and contemplative. He hardly felt like the day had happened to himself, though he could still feel Harry’s lips against his own.

Draco fell asleep with the same thoughts. Little did he know, Harry was doing the same thing. However, Draco felt a sort of restlessness, urgency to do it again, now, now, now; while Harry was beaming through his sheets, filling the room. Ron had grumbled at him to stop glowing, literally, he could only sleep in complete dark. Harry brought his duvet over his head and grinned once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, two things:  
> 1\. THIS IS SO SHORT!!!!! too focused on it being good to care about length (wink).  
> 2\. yes it's been a looooooong time. the thing is i wanted this chapter to be good. i needed it to be good. i wrote this like three times but deleted all of it cause i wanted it to be solid. so time got away from me. about 2 months ago, however, i kissed someone!!! and so i had inspiration. 2 months later, this is what i have.
> 
> apologies on both counts, thank you for waiting this out. fantastic beasts and where to find them has got some hp back in me so expect to update this faster than i did last time at least lmao.
> 
> chapter title from "electric love" by BORNS.
> 
> -soph


	5. You Build Me Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good old awkward conversation and an open end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from "believer" by imagine dragons

Two days had passed. Two days of Potter smiling at Draco. Two days of Draco pretending not to see him. Two days since Harry had kissed him. Draco shook his head. No, he thought, no, not Harry, Potter. His name is Potter. 

It was Sunday. On this Sunday, both Potter and Draco had found themselves in the library. Draco had been trying to distract himself -from Potter- and decided to read a book. This one was a murder mystery book, a decently interesting one about the murder of a powerful witch, when Potter came in. And Granger was with him. 

Granger was saying something, excitedly, and Potter was not listening. It was clearer that he wasn’t listening when Granger called him out on it.

“Harry! Come on, this is getting excessive now.” Hermione pouted.

Potter looked sheepish, “Merlin, I’m sorry Hermione I’m just thinking a lot.”

Granger’s face morphed into a knowing look that Draco didn’t understand. Her voice was quiet. “You know whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Potter was silent.

“Is it about-” Granger seemed to hesitate, “Is it about what you told me before?”

Potter figated. “Not really. I mean, kinda. I don’t know how to-”

Potter saw him. Draco ducked his head back into the now uninteresting book.

Potter had not spoken for several seconds now, but Draco could not see him. 

Draco heard Granger, “Harry? Harry, what?”

“Hermione can we continue this later? Didn’t you come here for a book on Arithmancy? How about you find that?” Potter said. Draco sneaked a glance at him, and wished he hadn’t. Potter had all of his attention on Draco. 

Granger looked worried. She saw where Potter was looking. “What did Draco do?” Granger called Draco by his first name? Since when?

“Nothing ‘Mione, don't worry.” Potter said, already moving. 

Draco heard Granger’s muffled ‘okay’ and pretended to be reading again.

Potter stopped right in front of him, much to close. “Draco.” He grunted.

Draco looked up. “Morning, Potter.” He tried to sound snobbish, but his voice cracked.

Potter pulled up a chair next to him. Draco crossed his legs and tried to read the page in front of him. 

“Draco,” Potter sounded annoyed. Draco had hardly looked up before Harry was taking the book from him. Potter! Potter took the book from him.

“What?” Draco whined.

“Uh, were you, erm, listening?” Potter asked.

“No, of course not.” Draco said, much too quickly to be true. 

Harry laughed nervously, “Yeah, and I’m a hufflepuff.”

Draco shifted uncomfortably. “Okay, yeah, I was.”

Harry continued to look at him. 

“What did you tell Granger about? You didn’t tell her about the-”

“No. No. Not about that.” Harry cut him off. 

“Good.” Draco said. But-”Can I ask, erm, what was that about?”

Potter squirmed a bit.

“You don’t have to tell me, nevermind.” Draco said, looking away.

“No, merlin, I’m just-” Harry sighed. “It’s just weird to be talking to you about this.”

“Yeah.” Draco agreed. “So-”

“Yeah. Uh, the other day I told Hermione the other day that I’m-” Harry looked around. He lowered his voice. “That I’m bi.”

Draco was surprised. “She didn’t know?”

“No, I mean, I didn’t think I’d ever have to tell her.” Harry said. “I think she knew a little though.”

Harry continued, “I just thought I should tell her with the whole article thing going around.”

Draco shook his head. “Merlin, I almost forgot about that.”  
“Lucky, it’s all I’ve heard about for about a week and a half.” Harry laughed.

Draco giggled, completely against his will. “So, do have an idea of what you’ll say?”

Harry was confused, “What I’ll say?”

“Surely you’re going to put out a statement?” Draco asked. “You know, so that the people are listening to you and not the media? You need to bring it back into your control or it’ll just get more intense.”

“You know a lot about this then?” Potter asked rather dumbly.

Draco looked down, “Well, obviously with the whole order.”

Harry nearly smacked himself in the face. “Merlin, yeah, sorry.”

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had decided that Draco needed 2 months of house arrest, which he completed over the summer, followed by a public apology. It was at least better than his parent’s fate: his dad was sent to Azkaban and his mother was given 15 years of  house arrest. 

Draco’s apology had been hard to watch. He had stood at a podium in a room deep in the Ministry of Magic filled with reporters, and the Minister to his left, and the Leader of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to his right. He wore a suit with a skinny black tie, his hair slicked back. He looked poncy, except he struggled to get the words written on the paper in his hands out. Harry could barely picture the tear on the high of his cheek bone. It seemed like forever ago.

Draco shook his head. “No, it’s okay, it was right.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “But it must have been humiliating.”

Draco laughed, “Yeah, it really was. But, you know.”

Draco suddenly looked deeply uncomfortable.

“What?” Harry asked.

Draco looked up at him, “I’m really sorry, really, really sorry. I- I treated you like shit. And I worked with- with-” He lowered his voice. “You-Know-Who.”

Harry shook his head. “Draco, it's okay. I mean, it’s not okay, but you did what you needed to to redeem yourself. We have no problem.”

Draco laughed without humor, “I slept in my room for two months and then stood in front of 30 reporters saying what the Magical Law Enforcement had written for me.”

“You also saved my life.” Harry reminded him quietly.

“That hardly makes up for all the times you saved my life. All our lives.”

They sat in silence for a while.

Then Harry looked up. “Do you want to get out of here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know. i know and im sorrrrryyyyy. there was going to be more to this chapter but i had already finished this and i figured that you guys deserve it. thank you so much if you're still reading.  
> i haven't forgotten about this, don't worry.  
> love you  
> sophie  
> tumblr: @recklesssoph  
> twitter: sophlyhefly


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